Improvement in paddle-wheels for propelling steam and other boats



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MATTHEW W. KING, oF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT lN PADDLE-WHEELS4 4FOR PROPELLING STEAM AND OTHER BOATS.

Specification forming part of zLetters Patent No. 1,473, dated January 15, 1840.

To all whom it may concern: j

Be it `known that I, MATTHEW W. KING, of the city of New York, in the State Aof New York, have invented an Improvementl in the Manner of Constructing Propelling-Wheels to be Used for Propelling Steamboats, Ships and other Vessels; and I do hereby declare' that the following is a full and exact description In the ordinary propelling or paddle wheels the planes of the buckets are, when fixed on the arms, in the plane of the radiiof the wheels, and the paddles in consequence enter and leave the water at the same angle with its surface; but in my wheell adopt the plan of placing the buckets so that they lshall form an angle with the arms or radii of the wheel of from twenty to forty-five degrees, (more or less) in such way as that therevolution of the wheel shall cause the propellingfaces of the buckets to form an angle with the surface of the water much more acute than when their planes are in the radii of the wheel, and to leave it at an angle much more nearly approaching a right angle than under the ordinary plan. I am aware that the buckets of paddle-wheels have been previously so placed, and although I adopt this plan I do not claim it as constituting any part of my invention. I use three or more arms in the width of the Wheel, each arm carrying a separate paddle or bucket. These arms are shown at A', A2, and A3 in the accompanying drawing, and at C', C2, and C3, the latter being the parts of the arms to which theseparate angularbuckets D D are attached. B B is the ordinary1 shaft of the wheel. The buckets D D, I do not place so as to range with each other-that is to say, the buckets on any three or moreof the arms do not stand in the' same plane, and do not, therefore, strike the water at the same time; but generally I so place them as that onlyone shall meet the water in any one instant, and -in all cases taking care that not more than two shall do so. f As represented in 'the drawing, the twoA outer series of buckets are in the same plane and the center series intermediate between them. When three sets of arms only are used, I make the arms of the center series one, two, or more'feetjlonger than those of the side series. If foursets of arms and buckets are employed, the two middle series are in like manner lengthened, and so of any greater numberof arms and paddles, thus increasing the diameter of the wheel at the center. y The paddles I make rounding at their outer ends, as shown in the drawing, and this rounding,

together with the projection of the center rows of paddles, will, in concurrence with the not placing of the respective rows of paddles in the same plane, cause them to enter the water with greater ease, producing less commotion than when otherwise constructed.

Having thus fully described the manner in which I construct my paddle-wheel, what I l claim therein as constituting my invention is- MATTHEW W. KING.

Witnesses z THos.` P. J oNEs, GEORGE WEsT.

. The placing a separate bucket on three or more consecutive rows of arms, the making. 

